Information Technology (IT) Consultant
Salary

The average Information Technology Consultant in the United States can expect to rake in roughly $71K annually. In the world of Information Technology Consultants, overall cash allowance can occasionally include more than $14K from bonuses and, in some exceptional cases, $10K from profit sharing, causing incomes to vary widely between $42K and $133K. Career duration is the main element affecting pay for this group — the specific employer and geographic location are driving factors as well. Job satisfaction is reported as high by the vast majority of workers. Most enjoy medical while more than half get dental coverage. Vision coverage is also available to the greater part. Men account for the majority of Information Technology Consultants who responded to the questionnaire — 83 percent to be exact. The data for this snapshot was collected from individuals who took PayScale's salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Information Technology (IT) Consultant

Information technology (IT) consultants work with clients to assist in their computer and other technology needs. IT consultants facilitate the development and implementation of improvements to IT systems used by the client. They also manage new installations of software and hardware as well as data migrations. In addition, IT consultants resolve computer system and network issues for clients. They are familiar with common computer software, hardware, the basics of computer networking, and are skilled in basic and advanced IT troubleshooting. The knowledge needed to work as an IT consultant can generally be obtained through an associate's degree in information technology or a related field. They may also take certification courses, and some employers will accept sufficient years of experience in the IT field. IT consultants should have excellent communication skills in order to provide good customer service and to discuss the resolution and operator prevention of those problems. In order to safely transport and install computer hardware, IT consultants are also familiar with basic electrical safety measures and should be able to lift up to thirty or forty pounds. IT consultants normally work standard office hours from morning to early evening, Monday through Friday, but they may be called in outside of standard business hours if there are system issues that need to be fixed immediately.

Information Technology (IT) Consultant Tasks

Manage new installations and migrations.

Manage resolution of system and network issues for clients.

Facilitate development and implementation of improvements to client's information technology systems.

Common Career Paths for Information Technology (IT) Consultant

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For Information Technology Consultants, career progression to a Senior Software Architect role may result in a considerable increase in compensation. On average, a Senior Software Architect, an upper-level role, can earn $121K annually. Information Technology Consultants moving up in their careers tend to step into positions as Information Technology Project Managers or Information Technology Managers. The median paychecks in those roles are $11K higher and $2K higher, respectively.

Information Technology (IT) Consultant Job Listings

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Popular Employer Salaries for Information Technology (IT) Consultant

Accenture, Booz, Allen, and Hamilton, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Hewlett-Packard Company, and CGI Group Inc. are some prominent firms with considerable interest in employing a large team of Information Technology Consultants. For Information Technology Consultants, comfortable salaries can be found at Slalom Consulting; in fact, average earnings are around $104K, the highest in the area, though the difference in the company's lowest and highest employee paychecks ($73K versus $197K) is great. Information Technology Consultants will also find cushy salaries at Accenture (+$85K), Deloitte Consulting LLP (+$81K), and InfoSys Limited (+$80K).

Sogeti USA LLC reports the lowest median salary in the area by far — it's only $60K, 74 percent less than the top paying company. Others at the bottom of the scale for this job include CGI Group Inc. at $61K, and CGI Federal where $62K is the norm, but it is worth noting that some Information Technology Consultants there earn up to $82K.

Popular Skills for Information Technology (IT) Consultant

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Information Technology Consultants seem to wield many skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Project Management, UNIX, e-Commerce, and Oracle are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 10 percent and 14 percent. Skills that pay less than market rate include Windows Operating System General Use, Windows NT / 2000 / XP Networking, and Microsoft Office. Those proficient in Microsoft Office are, more often than not, also skilled in SQL and Project Management.

Pay by Experience Level for Information Technology (IT) Consultant

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For many Information Technology Consultants, more experience generally translates to higher pay. The average worker who claims fewer than five years of experience earns around $61K. In contrast, however, individuals who report five to 10 years in this occupation see a much larger median of $78K. Professionals who claim 10 to 20 years of experience can secure some pretty cushy paychecks; the median for this group is a six-figure $100K. Information Technology Consultants who surpass 20 years on the job report pay that isn't as high as one would expect; the median compensation for this crowd sits around $116K.

Pay Difference by Location

With a pay rate for Information Technology Consultants that is 25 percent greater than the national average, San Francisco offers a comfortable salary for those in this profession. Information Technology Consultants can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like Austin (+23 percent), Dallas (+11 percent), Philadelphia (+11 percent), and Seattle (+10 percent). The smallest paychecks in the market, 2 percent south of the national average, can be found in Los Angeles.

What is it like working as an Information Technology (IT) Consultant at EY (Ernst & Young)?

Information Technology (IT) Consultant in Washington:

"Lots Of Experience."

Pros: They give you a lot of opportunity to expand your experience very quickly. Managers for the most part are happy to let you shine over them if you are doing the work.

Cons: The compensation is poor. The partners are quick to tell you it's not all about the money and it will come but staying with the firm for a long time is not the way to do it. 5 years in you will find yourself significantly under the median for your experience level.